Firehouse Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Inductee Named
Robert “Butch” Cobb was selected as the Firehouse Hall of Fame 2022 inductee. Cobb will be honored during the opening ceremonies at Firehouse Expo, Sept. 26–30, 2022, in Columbus, OH.
Cobb spent 34 years with the Jersey City, NJ, Fire Department (JCFD), where he retired as deputy chief. He served with the Dumont, NJ, Volunteer Fire Department, where he was chief of department in 1978 and then volunteered with the West Milford Township, NJ, Fire Department, where he was chief of department in 1989.
His first Firehouse Magazine article, “Expect the Unexpected,” was published in 1995, and he began speaking at Firehouse Expo that same year. He has written and presented with Firehouse numerous times, including classroom sessions and HOT classes. In 2003, he was appointed the hands-on training coordinator for Firehouse Events and served as program coordinator for “Firehouse On The Road” training seminars, along with developing the East Meets West Conference with Firehouse.
After retiring from the JCFD, Cobb went on to become director of community hazard mitigation for the Insurance Services Organization and helped it to revise the fire suppression rating schedule.
Find more at: firehouse.com/21265420.
Cade Named Mason Lankford Award Recipient
The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and Motorola Solutions selected Chief Greg Cade as the recipient of the
Cade joined the fire service in 1968 as a member of the Prince George’s County, MD, Fire and Rescue Department. He rose through the ranks during his 54-year career and served in various leadership roles at the local, state and national levels. Cade's demonstration of leadership in his various positions during his career and his commitment to the health and safety of firefighters and emergency personnel caught the attention of the George W. Bush Administration. In 2007, he was nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate as U. S. fire administrator.
Before his retirement in 2021, Cade worked for the NFPA, serving as its director of government affairs and a regional director. During this time, he also served as chair of the CFSI National Advisory Committee, providing leadership to the 38-member committee on a broad range of national fire issues.
For more information, visit cfsi.org.
Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award
Karl Ristow, CFO, is the newest recipient of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s (NFFF) Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award.
Ristow, who currently serves as the program director for the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) program at the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), became involved in the NFFF in 2007. He served on the incident management team that developed and executed the memorial service and burials for nine Charleston, SC, firefighters who were killed while fighting a fire at the Super Sofa Store. Since then, as a volunteer, donor and educator, Ristow has supported the NFFF in raising awareness and funds for its prevention and support missions.
The Glatfelter Award recognizes exceptional service to the NFFF by men and women who continue in support of Arthur Glatfelter’s legacy as a champion of the fire service. In 1969, Glatfelter created Volunteer Firemen’s Insurance Services (VFIS), which was the first company of its kind to meet the insurance needs for firefighters. Glatfelter was an enthusiastic advocate for the NFFF and its missions and served for many years on the foundation’s board of directors.
For more information, visit firehero.org.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
12 U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty. Seven firefighters died from health-related incidents, two died in motor-vehicle accidents, two died during wildland operations and one died in a fall at the firehouse.
CAPT. DAVID HOLMES, 51, of the LaGrange, NC, Fire Department, died on Feb. 28. On Feb. 20, Holmes began to experience breathing problems while on scene at a brush fire. He was transported to the hospital, where he was placed on life support. He died from a massive heart attack.
CHIEF JOHN M. PRIDEMORE, 54, of the Clayton, DE, Fire Company, died on March 8. Pridemore was conducting station clean-up duties when he was injured in a 25-foot fall. He was rushed to Christiana Hospital where he later died from his injuries.
FIREFIGHTER/EMT DAVID WAYNE MCDONALD JR., 40, of Grand Traverse Band Fire Rescue in Peshawbestown, MI, died on March 17. McDonald was found deceased on the bay floor by a fellow firefighter. The cause of his death is under investigation.
FIREFIGHTER DUSTIN BRANDHORST, 35, of the Ebenezer Fire Protection District in Springfield, MO, died on March 18. Brandhorst was responding to a structure fire in a water tender when the apparatus he was driving overturned. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
FIREFIGHTER/EMT VINCENT DOFFONT, 37, of the Harrison, NJ, Fire Department, died on March 19. After providing structural roof venting training to new members, Doffont returned to the fire station. While in the shower, he collapsed and was found unconscious by fellow firefighters. Doffont was rushed to the University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of his death has yet to be determined.
FIREFIGHTER APRIL LYNN PARTRIDGE, 55, of the Edgewater Park Volunteer Fire Department in Apache, OK, died on March 20. During wildfire firefighting operations, Partridge was separated from the crew and the apparatus. She later was found dead by fellow firefighters.
FIREFIGHTER/EMT EDWARD LONG, 55, of the Portsmouth, OH, Fire Department, died on March 22. Long was returning to the fire station from a call when he became unresponsive and suffered a medical emergency. Fellow firefighters performed lifesaving measures and rushed him to the Southern Ohio Medical Center Emergency Department, where he was pronounced dead. The cause of his death has yet to be determined.
ACTING CHIEF FREDY C. REEVES, 85, of the Ward, AL, Fire Department, died on March 25. On March 3, Reeves was attempting to put out a grass fire when his pants caught fire, burning his legs. Reeves then drove approximately five miles and brought back a fire apparatus to continue fire suppression operations. When an ambulance arrived, Reeves was transported to a local hospital and then to the burn center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. His condition initially improved, but he subsequently became increasingly ill and died from his injuries.
CHIEF ENGINEER JEFF WILLIAMS, 56, of the Larksville, PA, Fire Department, died on March 31. Just after arriving at the station for the day’s shift, Williams went into a cardiac-related event in the parking lot. Fellow firefighters performed lifesaving measures and rushed Williams to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
PROBATIONARY FIREFIGHTER TIMOTHY WILLIAMS, 54, of Eddy County Fire and Rescue in Carlsbad, NM, died on April 4. Williams was cleaning apparatus and checking equipment at the Atoka Fire Station. After arriving home, he began to experience chest pains. He was rushed to the hospital and died from a heart attack.
CHIEF JEFFREY RAY WYATT, 49, of the McAdory Area Fire District in Bessemer, AL, died on April 4. Wyatt worked a shift at the firehouse, during which he complained to his colleagues of having difficulty breathing. When he arrived home, he fell down a flight of stairs after he suffered a massive heart attack. A family member found him approximately 45 minutes later. Wyatt was rushed to Medical West Health Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
CHIEF DARREN D. KRULL, 54, of the Elwood, NE, Volunteer Fire Department, died on April 7. Krull was a passenger in an SUV that was en route to a wildland fire. The SUV was struck head on by a water transfer tank. Krull was rushed to Chambers Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the SUV was transported to the hospital and listed in stable but critical condition. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
